The startup carrier will commence flying on Dec. 1 on domestic routes before expanding its network beyond Zambia’s borders in the first quarter of 2022.
The route, which departs from Dubai, will see an increased capacity due to a replacement of aircraft. This increase will help to meet the growing demand on the route into the African countries.
WATCH exclusive content from this year's World Routes Strategy Summit. Here we highlight the key factors that are holding back fastjet in in its ambition to develop a pan-African network from the 'Airline Challenges & Growth Concerns' panel session.
Speaking to Routesonline on the sidelines of the World Routes network development forum, Makona confirmed that the resumption of long-haul flights from Harare is the main development target for the carrier and it seeks to work with the local tourism authority to put Zimbabwe back on the international route map.
The expanding airline already operates into Zimbabwe from the Dar Es Salaam base of its original Tanzania business, but the arrival of the new aircraft represents a significant step forward in its activities in southern Africa. It will initially use the aircraft to launch domestic flights between Harare and Victoria Falls.
This winter, fastjet will add additional capacity on routes to Johannesburg, South Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe and its recently launched service to Lilongwe, Malawi this winter, as well as increasing its domestic offering to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza.
The conventional, full-service airline plans to inaugurate operations into neighbouring South Africa from August 26, 2015 and alongside serving OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg plans to add links to Cape Town. It also plans to begin domestic operations to the redeveloped Victoria Falls International Airport.
The budget carrier has seen a strong start to the year with its Tanzania business reporting a 52 per cent rise in passenger numbers in May 2015 compared to the same month last year. Over a rolling 12 month period to the end of May 2015, the airline carried 716,350 passengers, up 76 per cent on the previous 12 months.
The award of the Air Service Permit (ASP) from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development of the Government of Zimbabwe, which is responsible for administering the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), is a significant step towards the Company obtaining an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) and its plans to grow its footprint in Sub- Saharan Africa.
The enhanced focus on the African market is a key part of the carrier’s Long-Term Turnaround Strategy, and is in response to positive market growth. Over the course of the first week of December 2014, SAA is adding another seven weekly flights across four routes.
The airline says forward bookings for the current twice-weekly flights are “well ahead of management expectations” and with the first flights from Zimbabwe already “operating to full capacity”, fastjet has quickly decided to boost the frequency of the link.
VIDEO: After fastjet’s announcement at Routes Africa that it will introduce flights between Dar es Salaam and Harare, David Chawota, chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe CAA is confident more air services will follow.
Alongside targeting the large diasporas that left the country almost a decade ago and its strongest markets of Europe and North America, Zimbabwe’s growth strategy will be underpinned by forays into markets such as China and India.
Speaking to The HUB Daily on the sidelines of this year’s Routes Africa forum in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Peter Mukarkate, the airline’s general manager passenger and cargo confirmed that the airline has recently concluded a detailed analysis of its markets and identified the capacity niches which would best fit demand on its network.
If it gains all approvals Just Fly will initially serve two domestic markets on a scheduled basis offering around three flights per week. These comprise links from Harare to Chiriedzi and Beit Bridge, both destinations which have not been regularly served from Harare on a scheduled basis in recent years.
